Iridescent products and process of making the same



Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAXIMILIAN MEYER, E BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO J'OS. H. MEYER BROS, IN C., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,-.A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK IRIDESCENT PRODUCTS AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME No Drawing.

This invention relates to iridescent products and the process of making the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a product for use in various ways and for I various purposes in the industrial arts, having an iridescent coloring, and a process of makingthe same which. lends itself to securing a variegated coloring in the products, and in a most simple and inexpensive manner. The invention consists in a product to which is imparted a beautiful iridescent coloring which is permanent and which may be easily varied in its production to secure any desired density shade or tone, and which is capable of use in the industrial arts in themanufactured articles.

It has been proposed heretofore to impart an iridescent coloring to the surface of arti-.

cles having a celluloid base or which is coated with celluloid by applying to the polished surface of such base or coating a bismuth compound, and then applying thereover a film of liquid celluloid. The results ob tained, however, are not satisfactory for various reasons. In the first place the solvent required to maintain the celluloid film material in a liquid form to enable the film to be applied to the polished and treated celluloid baseor coating attacks such surface and impairs or destroys the smoothness of the same. This interferes with the iridescent effects which are sought and renders the resulting product dull and lacking in iridescent quality. Again, by employing a celluloid base or coating the range of use of the product is .very materially limited by reason of the stiffness and lack of sufiicient flexibility of celluloid base.

. I propose to avoid these and other objections by employing as a base a material which is not attacked or impaired by the solvents employed in the film material, which, in the production of the finished product is applied to the base material. For this purpose, I propose to employ a flexible base material which can be folded or otherwise manipulated for working up into commercial articles, and which, as above stated, is not' affected or injured by the solvent of the film 6 materialwhich is to be applied to the surxface thereto.

Application filed October 3, 1925. Serial No. 60,303.

face thereof. I have found such base materials as fabrics of various kinds, such as muslin, cloth, ducks, and other textiles, oil cloth, linoleums, leather, imitation of leather and the like, and which I will designate generically as flexible material, to distinguish the same from a-celluloid material, suitable for my purposes. In some instances, I apply a coating having an oil base to the surface of the textile, oil cloth, leather or the like to which a surface or iridescent coloring is to be applied, in accordance with my invention using an oil, however, whichis not attacked by the solvent of the film to be subsequently applied to such surface. I have found that a coating of linseed oil, Chinawood oil, varnishes and lacquers of various kinds having an oil base are suitable for use in carrying out my invention.

The flexible base material, textile oil cloth, leather or the like, with or without the oil base coating thereof is then subjected to manipulation to impart a smooth polished sur- This can be accomplished in various ways. I have obtained excellent re- 75 sults by passing the base material between heated rollers or pressing it between hot plates. lVhere an oil base coating is applied to the surface of the material, such application may be effected with a brush, or by floating the coating, material over the surface of the base material. The coated base, after drying is then passed between heated rollers or pressed between heated plates. This manipulation of the base produces a smooth, glassy surface thereon. This surface is then treated with a basic halogen salt. I have found that a bismuth compound, such as bismuth oxychloride, bismuth oxyiodide or bismuth oxybromide is suitable for my purposes. This salt may be applied to the smooth polished surface in any suitable manner such as by rubbing it over the surface with a soft fabric, felt or chamois. To the resulting surface is then applied a thin film. I have found that a thinned out pyroxylin lacquer, or a thinned out resin lacquer made by dissolving shellac in alcohol, or damar in benzol or toluol well answers the purpose as a suitable material for the film, and by a thin or thinnedis to say, in the thinner film a bluish tint or out film material, I mean a lacquer or material containing only about one percent of solids. It will be observed that the base materials, even when coated, and the film material even when thin or thinned out and the solvents thereof are of such nature that neither will be attacked by the other.

After application of the thin film .the product is permitted to dry and is then ready for use, and possesses the desired beautiful iridescent colorings.

I have found that the thickness of the film applied to the polished and treated surface of the base material controls the character of the iridescent or color effect produced; a That tone will preponderate in the iridescent effect, and the thicker the film a golden or reddish tint or tone will preponderate. I have also found that by rubbing the outer surface of the film after the film has been applied to the polished and treated surface of the base, and by rubbing said film surface I mean treating it by rubbing thereover the basic halogen salt of bismuth in the same manner that the basematerial or coating has been treated, as above described, I am enabled to vary the tones of colors in the iridescent efiects. Thus,

where a blue color preponderates, by treating the film surface with the halogen salt alighter or more silvery tone effect is obtained, and

where a golden or reddish tint preponderates,

treating the film surface produces a beautiful purplishshade or tone. This enables me to control to a large extent and to vary the shades and tints of the iridescent effects produced and in a most simple and efiicient manner. 7

Notwithstanding the fact that the surface of the base to which the film is applied is not adhesive, as in the case of a celluloid .base or coating, nevertheless, when such surface is polished and smoothed and treated with a bismuth compound, I find that the film when applied thereto is firmly held in place thereon probably by capillary attraction and 7 possibly by atmospheric pressure, and the smoother and more highly polished the surface of the base is rendered the more tenacious is the film when applied thereto.

I have found that textiles, oil cloth, leather and the like when prepared as above described may be folded, wrinkled or shaped as;

desired, in the manufacture of various arti cles of commerce without breaking or injuring the film, and without impairing the iridescent colorings produced. Having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention and the manner ofcarrying the same into practical use, I wish it to be understood that many variations and changes in the manipulative details will read ily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art without departure from the spirit-and scope of -my invention, as defined in'. the

claims. I do not desire therefor, to be limited or restricted to the exact details described.

But what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent'is- 1. The process of producing iridescent textiles which consists in heat-polishing the surfects which consists in polishing the surface of a textile base material, between heated surfaces under-pressure, and applying abasic halogen salt of bismuth to the polished'surface and then applying a liquid film to the treated surface, the base material being of a nature to be unaffected by the solvent for the material, and finally rubbing the surface of the with the basic halogen salt.

3. The process of producing iridescent effects which consists in coating the surface of a textile base with a liquid material immiscible with film material solvents, then heat polishing the surface of the coating and applying a basic halogen salt of -bismuth thereto, and then applying .a thin film to the heat polished and treated surface.

4. The process of producing llldesCGDbGfi fects which consists in coating the surface of a textile base with a liquid material immiscible with fihn material solvents, then heat treating and rubbing the surface of the coating and applying a basic halogen salt of bismuth thereto, and then applying a thin film to the polished rubbed and treated surface andfinally rubbing the surface of the applied film.

5. The process of producing iridescent effects which consists in coating the surface of a textile base with a liquid material immiscible with film material solvents, then heat treating by passing said base between hot rolls under pressure thereby effecting a polish thereto, rubbing the surface of the coating and applying a basic halogen salt of polishing the exposed surface of said coating and applying a basic halogen salt of bismuth thereto, and then applying a thin film of lacquer the solventof, which is immiscible with said coatin and finally rubbing the exposed surface 0 said film with the bismuth compound.

7. The process which consists in coating the surface of a textile base material with a substance having an oil base, and drying and polishing the exposed surface of said cbating by passing the same through heat rollers under pressure, and applying a basic halogen salt of bismuth thereto, and then applying a thin film of lacquer the solvent of which is immiscible with said coating and finally rubbing the exposed surface of said film with the bismuth compound.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a textile base material having a high gloss surface on which is a basic halogen salt 'of bismuth and a thin film, the solvent for the film material being immiscible with the base material.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a textile base material having an oil base coating 2(] *on the surface thereof, a bismuth oXy-halogen salt on said coating and a thin rubbed lacquer film surface.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand on this th day of September A. D.,

MAXIMILIAN C. MEYER. 

